By SCOTT INGLIS
A teenage son of Transport Minister Mark Gosche was involved in a motorway smash in Auckland which critically injured two people and hurt three others.
Jacob Gosche, aged 19, was in one of two stationwagons, both dark blue, which collided at 1.55 am on Saturday.
He is understood not to have been hurt in the crash, which happened in the southbound lane near Penrose.
Mark Gosche last night refused to comment.
Police examined the scene at the weekend but, unusually, the Auckland crash investigation unit closed the motorway's southbound lanes at the site again about 90 hours later - on Tuesday evening - for further tests over an hour and a half.
One stationwagon, carrying five friends from Whakatane, crashed through a motorway barrier into a concrete yard.
Two males in the car suffered critical injuries and were trapped for up to an hour before being taken to Auckland Hospital.
Two others suffered moderate injuries and were taken to Middlemore Hospital.
The fifth suffered minor injuries.
The Herald understands that one other person was with Jacob Gosche in the second stationwagon.
Police yesterday would not say who was involved in the accident.
Investigating officer Senior Constable Stu Kearns refused to comment on whether the second vehicle's driver was breath-tested at the scene.
Senior Constable Kearns said Tuesday's re-inspection had been made because vital equipment needed to survey the scene was not available at the weekend.
It was being used at a training seminar elsewhere in Auckland.
He said the inquiry was not disadvantaged by the time lapse.
Police are appealing for witnesses but it is understood that the investigation is proving difficult because both vehicles were of similar colour and were both stationwagons.
Senior Constable Kearns said there was nothing special about the inquiry.
"I can assure you this accident is being investigated like any accident of this nature would be."
Minister's son in motorway smash
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